Network based applications are becoming more prevalent as cloud based systems take hold. Virtualization is currently reshaping how cloud based systems are implemented. It offers new possibilities to vendors that design and supply systems and operators that license, purchase, use and manage them. Based on virtualization, system vendors no longer have to design, manufacture and maintain specific hardware. Instead, they can design their systems to run within standard virtualization systems in standard off the shelf servers and other hardware. These can be privately owned servers running in an operator's data center or the operator can contract with a cloud service provider to rent time on servers. In the cloud case, the operator does not purchase, house or maintain the physical servers. Significant cost savings to the operator can result. Significant cost savings also accrue to the operator if computations can be done close to the sensor/data acquisition. This includes derivation of features and comparison to templates e.g. CAD models or typical samples. Processing at this level also allows a layering of services around the data/feature transport such as encryption, anonymization, jurisdictional policy management.
Cloud service provided servers and others which are used for the provision of virtualization services can be difficult to develop applications for. Complex application programming interfaces and other protocols have to be learned. Moreover, typical cloud-based servers do not have access to specialized hardware such as cameras and robot control systems in a manufacturing setting. Non-optical sensing methods are considered as inputs to the system.